Almost at the exact same moment, Cao Ji and Fei Xiaoxi also arrived on the scene as streaks of light.
"Brother Han, it looks like the spirit tree is informing us that there are people approaching the mountain range; do you think they're Sacred Ancestor clones?" Cao Ji hurriedly asked as soon as he arrived.
"There are quite a few Sacred Ancestor clones in the devilish army, but their numbers are completely insignificant considering the scale of this formation, so I think it's more likely that they'll be ordinary devilish lords," Fei Xiaoxi said as she arrived beside Han Li.
"The formation core will be able to show us what we're dealing with here," Han Li said in a calm manner as he made a hand seal before releasing a streak of azure light toward the giant tree.
The massive tree shuddered slightly, following which the formation down below was activated, releasing around a dozen pillars of light at once. These pillars of light then converged to form an azure ball of light before Han Li's trio, and Han Li immediately flicked a string of incantation seals of different colors into it.
The ball of light revolved on the spot before transforming into an azure crystal ball with a surface that was as smooth as a mirror, but comprised of dozens of rhomboid faces.
Each face was depicting an image of one area of the mountain range, and Han li opened his mouth to expel a ball of pure spiritual Qi into the crystal ball before gently pointing a finger at it.
The facets of the crystal ball instantly blurred in unison as if countless images were flashing rapidly through them, making them impossible to glean with the naked eye.
However, Han Li and the others were all extremely powerful cultivators, so they were able to assess the images flashing over the different facets.
After the span of only a few breaths, Han Li suddenly let loose a low cry before abruptly sweeping a sleeve toward the crystal ball, upon which it slowly ceased in its rotation.
At the same time, all of the images on the crystal ball quickly vanished with the exception of a single image, which instantly took up the entire surface area of the crystal ball.
The image depicted was of a certain area on the outskirts of the mountain range, where three devilish lords and four Spatial Tempering Stage devilish beings were hovering in mid-air.
They had clearly activated the restriction nearby, and were being forced to contend with countless bolts of ferocious lightning.
One of them was a particularly tall and broad devilish being wielding a small copper mirror, from within which one pillar of black light after another was being unleashed, easily nullifying most of the oncoming bolts of lightning.
The remaining bolts of lightning naturally posed no threat to the other devilish beings, who were able to keep them at bay with relative ease.
"There are three devilish lords, two of which are at the mid-Body Integration Stage, while the other is at the late-Body Integration Stage. The remaining four are only at the Spatial Tempering Stage, but their auras are very peculiar, so it seems that they're no ordinary devilish beings," Fei Xiaoxi observed.
"Those four Spatial Tempering Stage devilish beings are similar in appearance and are using the same devilish arts, so they're most likely from the same race and adept in using combination techniques. How do you think we should handle these devilish beings, fellow daoists? Ordinary restrictions most likely won't be able to trap them," Han Li said with a calm smile.
"If we were situated elsewhere, we would be able to activate the most powerful restrictions in the formation to kill that group of devilish beings, but the formation core is currently accumulating energy for the entire formation, so the restrictions at our disposal are quite limited. As such, we'll have to take care of these devilish beings ourselves," Cao Ji said after a brief moment of contemplation.
"The three of us should be able to keep the three devilish lords at bay; we'll just leave the four Spatial Tempering Stage devilish beings to the dozen or so Spatial Tempering Stage beings under our command," Fei Xiaoxi said in an expressionless manner.
"Those four devilish beings are all at the pinnacle of the late-Spatial Tempering Stage, and their powers will undoubtedly be bolstered even further by their combination techniques. In contrast, our subordinates are all average Spatial Tempering Stage beings, so they may not be a match for those four devils."
"Even so, they'll have the formation to assist them. They won't be able to use the most powerful restrictions, but the other restrictions are quite useful as well; surely that'll be enough," Fei Xiaoxi countered in a confident manner.
Cao Ji considered this for a moment before nodding in agreement. "In that case, there shouldn't be any issues. What do you think, Brother Han?"
"Even with the formation to assist them, our subordinates won't be able to stop those four Spatial Tempering Stage devilish beings. If I'm not mistaken, those four devils should have been manifested by the same devilish being. If they were to combine as one, the resulting enemy will definitely be extremely powerful, so it'd be best for you to take them on yourself, Fairy Fei. Also, the formation core needs to be guarded at all times in case of sneak attacks, so Fellow Daoist Cao Ji will stay behind. As for those three devilish lords, just leave them to me," Han Li said.
"What? Are you serious, Brother Han?" Fei Xiao was very bewildered to hear this.
"Rest assured, I'll be more than capable of looking after myself. Brother Xie, show yourself," Han Li said with a smile.
As soon as his voice trailed off, a white figure emerged silently beside Han Li amid a burst of spatial fluctuations, and the aura he was releasing was no less powerful than Han Li's; it was none other than Daoist Xie.
"A late-Body Integration Stage being?"
"Isn't that…"
Cao Ji and Fei Xiao were both stunned at the sight of Daoist Xie.
"I'm sure there aren't any further issues now, right, fellow daoists?" Han Li chuckled in a nonchalant manner.
Cao Ji was the first to return to his senses, and he immediately cupped his fist in a salute as a wide smile appeared on his face. "Of course, I didn't think that our seniors had arranged for such a powerful being to accompany us in secret."
"I have no objections, either," Fei Xiaoxi said with a peculiar look on her face.
It was clear that the two of them had arrived at the conclusion that Daoist Xie had been sent to accompany Han Li by the Grand Ascension Stage seniors of the united army.
As for Daoist Xie himself, he merely stood in complete silence beside Han Li.
Han Li offered no explanation for Daoist Xie's behavior and shifted his gaze back to the crystal ball. At this point, the seven devilish beings had already eradicated the nearby bolts of lightning and were slowly flying toward the center of the mountain range.
"Fellow Daoist Cao, activate the Confounding Five Mountains Restriction to separate these devilish beings; we'll proceed according to our original plan," Han Li instructed.
"Go on ahead, Brother Han; I'll activate the restriction right away," Cao Ji immediately agreed before flying over to the center of the formation in front of the giant tree. Immediately thereafter, he sat down with his eyes closed and made a hand seal while chanting an incantation.
There were over 100 Wood Tribe beings seated around the formation, and they also began to make hand seals to assist him.
Thus, Han Li's trio departed as three streaks of light toward the location where the devilish beings were situated.
Almost at the exact same moment, around a dozen more streaks of light shot forth in hot pursuit behind the trio; these were none other than the dozen or so Spatial Tempering Stage guards who had received Han Li's voice transmission earlier.
……
The seven devilish beings were slowly advancing through the mountain range, and they were being led by the burly devilish lord.
Instead of stowing his copper mirror away, the devilish lord was holding it in front of his chest, occasionally directing it toward the landscape up ahead; it seemed that the mirror had the ability to identify restrictions.
"Everyone, look out!" the burly devilish lord suddenly yelled in alarm as a ball of piercing silver light suddenly erupted on the surface of the mirror.
The accompanying devilish beings' expressions changed drastically upon hearing this, and they quickly released their respective devilish treasures.
However, before they had a chance to do anything, a burst of bright green light suddenly erupted from the forest down below, following which a massive light formation with a diameter of around half a kilometer emerged, releasing a vast expanse of five-colored light as it appeared.
"Look out!"
The devilish beings were instantly swept up by the five-colored light amid cries of alarm, following which all of them were immediately enveloped by countless azure runes.
Within the five-colored light, the burly devilish lord hurriedly raised his copper mirror above his head to release a pillar of black light.
Meanwhile, the four Spatial Tempering Stage devilish beings let loose a loud cry in unison as piercing crimson light began to radiate from their bodies at the same time.
A resounding boom rang out as the pillar of black light pierced through the five-colored light in a flash, following which the burly devilish lord stumbled out into the open.
However, the other devilish beings all instantly vanished within the five-colored light, leaving only the devilish lord behind by himself.
The devilish lord cast his gaze toward the crumbling light formation, and let loose an enraged roar. "That's the Confounding Five Mountains Formation!"
"I didn't think that you'd be so knowledgeable in the art of formations; it seems that it wasn't a fluke that you managed to make it this far." A calm male voice rang out in the distance in response, following which a streak of azure light appeared on the horizon.
